Why Won't my Mac Let me Move Files to External Hard Drive?

My Mac Won't Let Me Write on an External Hard Drive

The simplest reason why you may not be able to write to a hard drive is if it is full. Singleclick on the disk in the Finder, then choose "Get Info" from the "File" menu. Check to make sure there is space listed after the label "Available:" in the General section of Get Info.

Why Can't I Move Files from Mac to External Hard Drive?

If you cant move or copy a file or folder, you might need to change its permissions settings. You might also need to change permissions settings for the disk, server, or folder where you want to move the item. On your Mac, select the item, then choose File > Get Info, or press CommandI.

How do I Move Files from Mac to External Hard Drive?

Connect an external hard drive to the computer using the USB cable and wait for the icon for that drive to appear on the Desktop.
Click "Finder" on the Desktop to launch a new Finder window, and then locate the files to transfer to the external hard drive.

How do I Change Permissions on an External Hard Drive Mac?

Select the drive in the Finder. Press Command-I to display the Get Info window. At the bottom of the window, click the arrow next to Sharing & Permissions to display permissions. Click on the Privilege menu next to your username and choose Read & Write.

How do I Copy Files from Mac to External Drive?

Other Ways to Copy Files on a Mac
Copy and Paste: Select a file, folder, or group of files, and then rightclick. In the menu that pops up, select “Copy.” Then navigate to the USB drive in Finder, rightclick in an open area and select “Paste Item.” The items will copy to the drive.

Why Can't I Add Files to my External Hard Drive Mac?

The drive is set to readonly permissions, so you cant add or delete files . The external hard drive uses a partially supported file system, like NTFS, which macOS only supports as readonly. The drive is encrypted, meaning you cant access it in any way until youve decrypted the disk.